Trika (Non-dual Shaivism of Kashmir) was born in Kashmir, a province in northern India, in the 9th century. As the true meaning contained in the Tantra-s (ancient spiritual books) was being distorted, the Supreme Being Himself, who is called Śiva in this philosophical system, opened the mind of Vasugupta (a sage who lived in Kashmir at that time). Then Śiva told him to look for some aphorisms engraved on a rock. These aphorisms were called "Śivasūtra-s": "the Aphorisms (sūtra-s) of Śiva (the Auspicious One)". Since Śiva, the Supreme Being within us all, did not want the Secret Tradition to be interrupted, He told Vasugupta in a dream that the Secret Esoteric Teaching is found under a large stone on the Mahādeva mountain. The Secret Tradition was composed of all the true teachers who had taught the real Tantric meaning. And now, due to the increasing distortion occurring with the meanings contained in those sacred books, the Tantra-s, Śiva Himself had to intervene. Vasugupta woke up, remembered the dream and went to the place where the big stone was supposed to be. He found it, and after turning it over with a mere touch of his hand, confirmed his dream.